I'm the boss because I have a harem of anime characters.

Page 41

"Of all times!"

The frontline commanders were extremely anxious. The battle was at a stalemate, and the appearance of a great mage could have tipped the scales of victory in their favor, but now he was gone.

If even a great mage can suddenly disappear, wouldn't that mean that an enemy, or some force outside of an enemy, has intervened and possesses terrifyingly powerful military strength that is breathtaking?

Even if it's just an assassination carried out through some kind of trickery, it's enough to have a very bad impact at this time. After all, the news that the archmage is about to arrive at the front line to help our army has been spread. If he doesn't arrive on time, it will be a major blow to the morale of the entire army. Although the undead don't have the concept of morale, necromancers do.

Moreover, the battlefield is not only filled with undead units, but also with a large number of ordinary soldiers. Currently, both sides have deployed more than one million troops on the plains battlefield. Neither side can accept defeat, because defeat means that they will be helpless against the other side for at least the next ten years. Therefore, this is a decisive battle that will determine the hegemony of the Augu Continent.

"Send out griffin scouts! They must find Master Rongbuqiu, alive or dead!"

"General, the enemy has begun their attack!"

"Damn! They really know how to time things, getting the Third Legion to hold out at all costs!"

On the Augu Plain, a fierce battle involving over 100,000 people is underway. This is the most fertile plain on the Augu Continent, and also a strategic location fought over by the two great empires of Augu. Just like during the Northern and Southern Dynasties, the Eastern Wei and Western Wei tried every means to seize the Central Plains. Fertile land is crucial to the growth of national power and determines the rise and fall of many dynasties.

You're asking about the Northern Song Dynasty? Let's not waste our time on such useless people, okay?

However, the rulers of the two empires soon realized that the forces that would determine the outcome of this war lay outside the balance of power.

Section 86: Collateral Damage

"The Dark Moon Empire and the Holy Empire, the nations on the continent of Augu possess complete systems of extraordinary knowledge. Our target is the libraries of these two nations; we'll pack up everything we can and take it with us!"

According to the information Qin Shan obtained from Rong Buqiu, the so-called Dharma Saint in this world is actually a sixth-order transcendent being.

Are there any legends beyond this?

There are legends, but there are no concrete examples. History books only record higher beings as imaginative myths, without any specific miracles. They are all myths that sound amazing but are impossible to verify. For example, the story of Moses parting the sea. Even if it were true, with the current technology of humankind on Earth, we cannot analyze the possibility of this by looking at the changes in the ocean over thousands of years. Time has covered everything up.

In such a long time dimension, the existence of high-level superhumans becomes meaningless, and it is more likely that no one has ever crossed that line. As someone who crossed that line back then, Qin Shan knows very well how difficult that invisible barrier is to overcome, and how surprising the final breakthrough is.

After the first high-level superhuman was born, it took nearly fifty years for other races to produce high-level superhumans. During this period when the human camp had the advantage, many races disappeared silently. If the humans had been less reckless afterward, they wouldn't have ended up in a losing situation later on.

When those greedy insects fight amongst themselves, they really don't care about the occasion. Even if a brand new future is presented right in front of human civilization, they will insist that "my hereditary civilization cannot be meaningless." Then they will desperately build barriers for their privileges and solidify their class so that their bloodline can be passed on without worry. Even if they know that this is impossible, they just cannot suppress their desire to do so.

As for humanity transcending the ordinary, well...

To them, if everyone is extraordinary, then extraordinary people become worthless, the barriers they painstakingly built become useless, and the privileges built on that foundation become worthless. How can this be allowed!

The one in ten chance of Qin Shan becoming a superhuman in the later part of his previous life was the probability of natural awakening, not the probability that humans could cultivate so many superhumans. Perhaps as time goes by, all of humanity will eventually become superhumans after a certain generation, but unfortunately, there is not enough time, and everything can only flow away like the mighty Yangtze River.

The regrets of the previous life must never happen again this time!

To ensure that enough knowledge and a complete system were "borrowed" from the two great empires of World Four, Qin Shan also temporarily recalled Bismarck and Richelieu. Together with Xiao Luo, Xiao Zhai, his wife, his sister-in-law, and Rodney, they could form a rather luxurious lineup and empty the entire library of the Augu Continent.

Aside from the libraries of the great empires, many small countries on the continent of Augu also possess a considerable amount of magical knowledge, some even with local characteristics. Although there are restrictions on their use, and some are limited by objective circumstances, it's always good to have more skills. Since we can choose to have them all, we certainly can't let any go and must bring them all back for careful study.

Right now, the two great empires are engaged in a decisive battle on the front lines, and the attention of the entire Augu continent is focused there. This is a perfect opportunity to stir things up. We should first target the smaller countries, and then take the main course from the two great empires. We shouldn't even let go of the royal family's private collections. In other words, the things that the royal family has private collections are often more valuable for research.

"That's the general plan. Everyone will be responsible for one country. Let's get started!"

"Yes!"

Three days later..

Where are our supplies?

In the Dark Moon Empire's military camp, the supreme commander glared angrily. If the person before him didn't give him an explanation, he would die the same way Wang Hou did!

But Wang Hou was forced to take the blame, while this person genuinely failed to complete the task.

"Marshal, the capital of the Forest Alliance has been attacked, and the enemy has looted their treasury. The entire Forest Alliance is now on high alert and has no time to spare. Our transport convoy did not receive sufficient protection and was intercepted by the bandits of the Holy Empire en route!"

"The Forest Alliance was attacked?"

Marshal Dark Moon's expression turned serious.

Unexpectedly, while the battle raged fiercely on the front lines, those bastards from the Holy Empire still had the energy to divert troops to launch a sneak attack on their own allies. Could it be that they have a backup plan?

As seen on the map, the Forest Alliance is located in the northern forests of the Darkmoon Empire. It is an alliance of forest elves and forest dwarves. The Darkmoon Empire's supply convoys to the front lines pass through that area. As allies, the Forest Alliance provides protection. However, if their capital is attacked, they will naturally be unable to provide enough armed forces to protect the Darkmoon Empire's supply lines, making it easy for the enemy to take advantage of the situation.

"Since those hypocrites dare to play these games, then we'll attack their rear!"

Marshal Darkmoon pointed his finger at the Farron Legion, an ally of the Holy Empire, known as the "Holy Guards".

This is a militaristic state with a legion-like structure. Its predecessor was the Holy Empire's garrisoned legions. Historically, the Holy Empire had experienced a very brutal internal war known as the "War of Faith." By the time the war ended, the Holy Legions that had been stationed abroad had become the de facto controllers of the region.

However, the legion commander at the time was a devout believer in the God of Light, so he took the initiative to return to the embrace of the Holy Church. After comprehensive consideration, the Holy Empire nominally allowed the legion to return to the church, but in reality, it still allowed the legion to control the region. This legion became a gateway to the empire, with unwavering faith in the God of Light. There were many fanatical believers in the legion who were willing to die for the church on the battlefield. They were the Holy Empire's loyal hounds and were therefore known as the "Holy Guards".

The Fran Legion is about the same size as the Forest Alliance, but the two are not directly adjacent. This is because there are a bunch of tiny countries between them, the smallest of which are about the size of a village. On Earth, a motorcycle could easily cross them with a single throttle. The existence of these tiny countries acts as a buffer zone between the two empires, preventing the war for control of the Augu Plain from escalating into a large-scale melee under normal circumstances.

However, if both sides are willing to have a decisive battle, then these countries can only become battlefields or roads, just like Belgium and the Netherlands during World War I and II. Small countries at the crossroads are like carpets, having no say in the face of powerful forces.

Under the orders of the Dark Moon Empire's marshal, the lightly armed raiding cavalry began their guerrilla warfare, but then a huge surprise surrounded them.

For some unknown reason, the Franz Legion abandoned a large area of ​​the outer fortresses and entered the core area of ​​the Franz Legion almost without bloodshed. This caused the Ranger commander to have deep worries about whether he was dreaming and whether this was an enemy trap.

"How strange, where are those madmen from the Franco Legion?"

"Sir, something's strange. Should we continue?"

"Send out more scout cavalry to report regularly. If any problems arise on either side, immediately retreat!"

"As you command!"

Soon, the cautious ranger officer gathered very valuable intelligence: the Franz Legion had been attacked.

No one knows who the attackers are, but they directly blew up the Fran Legion's armory and looted the Fran Legion's treasury, including the daily offerings to the church. This is equivalent to devout believers buying indulgences, but the Holy Church calls it the "Oath of Light." Your donation is an affirmation of faith in the God of Light on earth, and the God of Light will bless you, allowing you to offer up loyal subjects and enjoy eternal wealth.

Whether or not the God of Light bestows blessings is unknown, but such political statements can indeed influence the Holy Empire's attitude towards a country, much like political donations. Therefore, countries that are allies of the Holy Empire (alliances between small and large countries are essentially small countries offering tributes to large countries in various ways, providing some form of value) must offer tributes. As devout followers of the God of Light, the Fran Legion gives a very large amount every year.

Now that everything has been taken, it's no wonder those religious fanatics are going berserk.

"Our mission is complete, retreat!"

The ranger commander was now drenched in a cold sweat. Regardless of who had done it, he was now leading his troops to attack their doorstep, and even into the core area of ​​the Franz Legion. He could easily become their scapegoat. The thought of tens of thousands of religious fanatics charging over to fight him to the death filled him with dread.

Anyway, the results we've achieved so far have already met the mission targets set by the marshal, and even exceeded them. We can take them back and report. There's no need to be greedy for credit or act rashly. If you want to achieve fame and success, you have to live to see that day before it's meaningful.

The ranger commander reacted quickly; no sooner had they left than the Franz Legion's cavalry, filled with rage and resentment, charged in, only to find nothing, which only fueled their fury.

"Blabolished ones, you must pay the price for your actions! Chase them down!"

Soon, news of the attack on the Holy Empire's rear reached the Dark Moon Empire. The Imperial Marshal immediately felt as happy as a young man enjoying a cold drink on a summer day, instantly feeling refreshed and invigorated.

That's right. One person's pain can only be felt alone. But if you share your pain, you can gain some joy in return.

Now it's the Holy Empire's turn to jump up and down in anger, and naturally, they're pinning the blame on the Dark Moon Empire.

The various harassment operations by both sides became more frequent. After all, there was nothing left to do in the direct confrontation. Both sides could only try to find the enemy's weaknesses by means of indirect means while fighting each other's internal strength.

During this period, the surrounding small countries, especially those that clearly took sides, basically became the first targets of attack. But the worst off were those small countries that did not clearly take sides. They were attacked from one side and then from the other, or even attacked from both sides at the same time. You can't expect any discipline from the feudal army. The soldiers were like shavings, and many countries were actually destroyed and their people were wiped out.

This devastating collateral damage continued until the capitals of both empires were attacked.

Yes, Qin Shan, who had eaten all the small fish, came to eat them.

Section 87: The Imperial Chain of Suspicion

For a civilization, its unique technological system, which is not available to others, is often its most valuable asset.

The two great empires on the Augu Continent do not cherish what they possess, but for Qin Shan, this is a complete training course for cultivating extraordinary individuals. Although it only covers those below the high level, a weak foundation will lead to instability. He must first solidify the foundation before considering the possibility of wanting more.

At this critical juncture, Qin Shan welcomed a heavyweight ship girl.

"Yubari reporting for duty, Admiral! It's been a long time!"

Yubari, a light cruiser, has an eighth-tier combat strength, but her strength lies not in combat but in research. She is a research-oriented ship girl whose technical level is highly regarded even by North Carolina.

Historically, the Yubari was an experimental ship, with powerful armaments and main engines installed in a relatively small hull. In other words, it tested all the weapons that could be tested on board, laying the foundation for the development strategy of the Japanese Navy.

The abilities of the ship girl Yubari are an extension of this; excellent scientific and technical personnel tend to focus on hardware development.

The modified Yubari is a girl in a white lab coat, hot pants, and glasses. Her long pink hair makes her look very energetic, perfect for sweet nothings in the lab.

Ahem, let's get serious. The biggest significance of Yubari's arrival is that Qinshan now has a professional in the field of hardware technology, which can effectively alleviate the pressure on Beizhai.

After a warm hug with Qin Shan, Yubari volunteered to participate in the work and naturally joined Kitazaya's team, thus creating a relatively complete research team within Qin Shan's group.

Tirpitz was in charge of the software support, while Yubari was in charge of hardware research and development.

Yubari's first project was to translate various documents from World Four.

Because Qin Shan and his group were so thorough in looting libraries around the world, the books they brought back were not categorized at all. However, the highest priority was definitely the magical knowledge, which was the method of using the extraordinary power of the Augu Continent. The clear and complete path to the extraordinary was thus laid out.

But don't get too excited yet. This is all highly technical professional knowledge that requires superhumans to use personally. Even a single mistranslated word could have irreversible consequences. Therefore, when translating, the translator must also master and use the superhuman skills mentioned above. Ordinary people simply cannot solve this problem, and even superhumans of too low a level cannot do it. Even if they can understand it, they cannot use it. And if they cannot use it, they cannot analyze the key technologies. If they give it to others, it might just turn into a self-destructing truck.

This meant that Yubari and Kitazai had to constantly practice the content while translating it, so an experimental field had to be set up next to the library. Meanwhile, Ebisu joined as a translator, responsible for explaining the dialectal content.

After all, the contents of some magic books are encrypted. As for whether Rongbuqiu will cooperate willingly, there is no need to worry. Even if he deliberately does something bad, he is still answering the question. Moreover, the huge difference in strength between the two sides makes it impossible for Rongbuqiu to play tricks in this regard.

The downward compatibility within the superhuman power system is extremely strong. The comprehension and control of lower-level superhuman skills by high-level superhumans far exceeds the imagination of non-high-level superhumans. This threshold is so absurd that those outside the threshold simply cannot understand how those inside understand the world, just as ordinary people cannot understand mathematics as seen through the eyes of top mathematicians.

"These books are all yours... never mind, never mind."

Rongbuqiu looked at the Holy Empire's treasured edition of "The Complete Collection of Holy Magic" in his hand. It consisted of 378 volumes, covering everything from magical structures to operational experience. It was illustrated in full color on parchment, and key parts were preserved with magical inscriptions. The status of such books was as confidential as the color of the Pope's underwear. Even if the Pope were to reveal what style of underwear he was wearing that day, he would never tolerate anything happening to this thing.

But now, this complete set of the Holy Church's top secrets is piled up with a bunch of ordinary books, which people can freely browse. If this gets out, those fanatical lunatics will surely have their blood pressure explode on the spot.

Although the Darkmoon Empire was also completely plundered, the Holy Empire was also plundered fairly.

Things that should have been very upsetting can now be accepted without question. Humans are such despicable creatures.

But what can Rong Buqiu do now? He's facing several powerful figures. In front of them, he'd have to ask permission before he could even commit suicide. Since life has forced itself on him, he might as well enjoy it since he can't resist. As long as he gets used to their rhythm, he can achieve great harmony in life.

That evening, Bei Zhai told Qin Shan in detail about Rong Buqiu's performance that day.

"So, you could say he's resigned to his fate."

"Yes...yes...Admiral...um...he...is...very...very...cooperative...um."

"Just cooperate. Having a professional like him can save a lot of trouble."

“Admiral… um… you said… ah… that’s right…”

"But Bei Zhai, you're quite bold. I didn't expect you to be dressed so elaborately underneath."

"Admiral...you're bad..."

"There's something even worse, want to give it a try?"

"Ah."

It's evening, so why not give your beloved boat some maintenance? Big boats need regular maintenance. Every now and then, hold the helm and take it for a spin, feeling the magnificence of battling the ocean amidst the turbulent waves, and climbing to the pinnacle of life amidst the roar of the waves.

That's right, it's just sailing a boat, what's the problem? (serious)

Qin Shan already has two sets of female companions. Speaking of which, Rodney and Nelson are also sisters. When she arrives, there will be three sets of female companions. Wow, suddenly I feel like my nightlife is getting busier. Who can blame me when I have so many boats at home? If they're not properly maintained, they're prone to problems. Qin Shan is just doing this for everyone's good.

After the maintenance was completed, Qin Shan hugged Bei Zhai and whispered to her, mainly about family matters.

"Although Yubari is a technical expert, there are still many things that she and I alone cannot handle. Admiral, I think we can make full use of the scientific research resources on Earth. With the cooperative relationships we have established with various countries and our own strength, we can completely ignore the risks brought about by exposure."

"Actually, I'm no longer worried about the exposure issue; we should definitely speed things up."

From the day the system seized the first Abyss Gate, Qin Shan knew he could play more recklessly. However, adhering to the principle of "better safe than sorry," he waited for a while. Now that he had the dimensional passages of four worlds in his hands waiting to be developed, it would be a disservice to his cheat-like rebirth if he were still so stingy.

Qin Shan hugged Bei Zhai even tighter, feeling her warm body, and sincerely thanked her, saying, "Thanks to your help, I was able to get to this point so quickly and make up for so many regrets. Thank you, my angels."

"Without the admiral, there would be no us, so there's no need for us to thank each other."

Beizhai's gentle reply was completely different from her usual homebody image. Or rather, it was only in front of Qin Shan that Beizhai was willing to seriously show her beautiful side, because for every ship girl, the admiral's happiness is her greatest happiness, and she has no other desires.

True, unreserved love—that's the love between ship girls and their admirals.

While Qin Shan was enjoying a life of pleasure, the two great empires on the Augu Continent were in an uproar, or rather, all the countries on the Augu Continent were in an uproar. This uproar had reached the point where the two great empires tacitly agreed to a ceasefire.

If there were various explanations for the attacks on other countries in the past, then the attacks that have now befallen the two great empires are completely inexplicable. The two great empires have the best defenses for their national treasuries and academies on the continent of Augu. Other countries have learned their technologies from the two great empires. But now there is an enemy that can suddenly rip out the hearts of the two great empires and disappear without a trace.

Indeed, the Holy Empire and the Dark Moon Empire have been sworn enemies for a long time. But being sworn enemies also means that both sides have a clear understanding of each other's strength. After all, the person who knows you best is your enemy. They both know very well that if the other side really had this power, they would have died long ago. How could they have waited until today to launch an attack?

Moreover, both empires have been plundered. Neither side can determine whether the other has made a move, but they are absolutely certain whether they have. In addition, the situation has clearly indicated the possibility of the existence of a third party. Naturally, neither side can continue the war, otherwise they would be doing all the work for someone else.

Once the two major powers calmed down, the global situation naturally eased, and many issues that had not been taken seriously before have now become major points of suspicion.

In every country attacked, either the library was looted, or both the national treasury and the library were looted. Regardless of the method, the library was always the primary target, and afterwards, the area was invariably set ablaze to clear the area. Those trapped within the looted area were later found lying in a nearby safe zone, tightly bound. Although the flames at the scene could have set Boruto ablaze, not a single person died in any of these attacks. This inexplicable mercy—could it be some kind of signal? Or some kind of demonstration?

I feel the latter is more likely. If I can quietly knock these people out and send them away in your country's key locations, then sending away your upper echelons directly doesn't seem difficult either.

That's right, it's definitely a threat, a blatant threat!

Furthermore, attackers are not interested in the treasuries of poor countries (perhaps because those countries are so poor that even a rat would starve to death if it entered, and the robbers couldn't help but donate money to them). They would only raid libraries (in some cases, the libraries in these countries were not even burned down, only the books were gone). When they did target the national treasury, they would specifically choose the wealthy. Small countries were just passing through, while large countries were their true targets.